Indefatigable
by woolabaloo
Summary: The Napoleonic legacy of HMS Indefatigable lives on. Non canon for GWF and Ardent Fury.


"B-4" a female voice declared, the smug undertone of her Scottish and the speed as to which she made the decision betraying her confidence.

A defeated sigh answered followed by the shuffle of plastic as her opponent lifted a game piece off the board. "You sunk my other battleship," Her English compatriat quietly muttered.

"I told you." The first girl chided smugly, adjusting the lapels on her jacket "Carriers are the way of the future, your battleships are no match."

The second woman let out a brief flash of embarrassment. "Um-" she muttered quietly mulling over the board, battleship still in hand. "I'll shoot at F-4." she declared after lengthy pondering

"Miss." the Scot declared immediately, making sure to let her smug boredom apparent. "Honestly it's a good thing you never had to face down real carriers." She mocked playfully, twirling a loose lock of her blonde hair idly in her hand. "A coordinated air attack is far scarier than any rusty Dreadnought." The carrier added a haughty nod to reinforce her point.

Her British companion paled slightly staring down at the tiny battleship token she still help in her off hand. "You're not scarier than a Dreadnought." She mumbled quietly, now gazing at the injection molded plastic with near absolute terror.

"Aw shite!" The carrier muttered to herself reproachfully. "You're right Indefatigable, battleships are very scary." She stood up, pushing herself away from the small end table that lined the dorm window. "Come on, don't get yourself all fucking blue over that again." The carrier desperately reasoned. "Let's go get some ice cream, or rum, or fuck it- let's get both."

Indefatigable said nothing her hands frozen in a death grip on the tiny plastic warship, her eyes anchored on it's miniature guns.

"Don't make me go get Australia," the carrier begged, "she's going to be so angry at me."

As if to answer her begging, the door to the girls dorm slammed open violently, pulling the carrier's attention to it and drawing a pathetic startled yelp out of the battlecruiser.

A figure stood at the entrance to the dorms, bedazzled in a worn but still proudly displayed British officer's coat and bicorne. The girl's buckled shoe was still held up high after delivering a firm kick to the door, only lowered after an appreciable silence has built up after her entrance and she was sure she had the other two ships attention. "Indefatigable!" she declared tersely, her tone clearly conveying frustration.

The carrier pinched the bridge of her nose. "God damn it. What do you want?"

"I need to talk to you." The older ship pushed her way into the room intently marching towards the game and making direct and deliberate eye contact with both players before slapping the game of Battleship off the table, sending tiny warships and colored pegs off scattering along the room's carpet.

"Hey!" The battlecruiser sadly cried.

"God damn it Indefatigable, what's gone and crawled up your arse." muttered the carrier Indefatigable. "Is this about that Ghandi business again?"

The older ship shot her a look. "No, I'm over that now." She declared, the frustration still apparent in her voice. "Okay- actually no. I'm still absolutely livid that you let the crown jewel of the Empire slip out of your fingers." The ship of the line cast an accusing finger at the carrier with her free hand before slamming the contents of her other hand dramatically on the table. "This-" she declared, gesturing at a rather plain looking book emphatically, "-is what crawled up my arse."

The carrier studied the title and frowned. "Navies of the Second World War Volume Nine: Vichy France," she read aloud, turning incredulously at the ship of the line. "You're mad at the French?"

"You fought the French." the fourth rate spat in a manner that left not room for questioning.

"That was after her time," the carrier answered gesturing to the flustered battlecruiser currently scooping red and white pegs up off the carpet, "and before mine. Besides what does it matter? We kicked their teeth in."

The fourth rate reddened, her anger becoming "that just makes it worse! You skipped out beating the frogs and took nary a prize."

The carrier set her hand in the crook her her hip, adopting a dubious expression "A prize?"

"You know a war prize!" "Carrying off one of those arrogant little strumpets after you've given them a good thrashing."

"Oh God." muttered the carrier quietly, putting a hand to her mouth.

Battlecruiser Indefatigable let out a panicked squeak at the statement.

"Not like- not like that!" the razee frigate offered with a defeated sigh, before taking a new approach. "Look, you all bear my name yeah? A name I fashioned into quite a legacy nabbing French maidens during the coalition wars."

"I feel like this is going somewhere and I don't like it," the carrier flatly offered.

"All I'm saying is if we manage to nick ourselves one of them, it'll show the French we still mean business and knock those insufferable egos down a tad."

"We're not stealing an allied ship."

"No, of course we're not stealing her, don't be silly, it's more of a forced adoption. like how you make Indefatigable play Battleship with you even though you cheat and make her give you her carrier."

"it's not cheating though, we didn't have carriers in the Great War," the girl in question piped in, "I wouldn't know how to use them."

The ship of the line shot a chiding glance at the carrier, who returned a sheepish shrug in kind.

"Come on. Look, we won't hold on to her for too long. Just long enough for everyone to know how great we all are before sending her back to France."

The carrier crossed her arms and glared emphatically.

"I'll forgive you for the whole Ghandi thing." She offered. "I can't promise I'll forgive the rest of the late empire but I'll stop yelling at you over it."

The carrier continued her silent glare for the better part of a minture before letting out a relenting sigh "I can't believe I'm considering this."

"I'll even admit that Victory surviving those bombs is more luck that superior design and that it's not a guarantee that carriers are worthless and that I probably can't take you in a fight."

The carrier pursed her lips, gazing deliberately above the older girl's head with a thoughtful finger to her lips. "Fine, but I get to pick the frog." she announced after some deliberation.

"Do I get a say in this?" Asked the battlecruiser from the floor.

"No." Two voices agreed emphatically.

Bearn closed her eyes, enjoying the wafting scent of the coffee and the warm chatter of the parisian cafe before taking a small deliberate sip of the dark liquid. smiling slightly, the carrier opened her eyes, glancing out over the veranda and onto the bustling Paris streets. Of the few pleasures her busy schedule allowed, her people watching and coffee breaks were certainly a favorite. Her blue tunic and dark skit offered a casual but professional aura that allowed her to stay mostly ignored by the patrons, a fact that suited Bearn's interests well.

A high pitched metallic squeak interrupted her meditation. A stocky blonde English woman pulled out the chair opposite to the French carrier. The newcomer shot Bearn a lopsided grin that bore a few too few teeth and took a seat. A second girl, larger than the first and significantly less sloppy and antiquated in dress, stood besides, leaning herself on the first girl's shoulder.

"Is this seat taken?" The woman asked as if forgiving her own intrusion on Bearn's privacy, clearly completely uninterested in the Carrier's opinion on the matter.

Bearn only allowed her mouth's edge to flick downwards for a brief moment before offering a warm smile. "Oh no my friend, make yourself at home. The comment was near interrupted, by the girl snatching the blueberry scone off Bearn's plate and taking a large bite out of it. Bearn's smile became significantly more forced.

The intruder wiped her mouth on an old fashioned British officer's uniform and leaned back, waiting for Bearn to speak.

"You must forgive me. Dunkerque had not told me I would be receiving any dignitaries." She muttered politely, "I am of course, the Aircraft carrier Bearn, but I do not believe we've been introduced personally"

"HMS Indefatigable," the seated Indefatigable dryly explained, reaching over to take a bite of scone to the obvious dismay of Bearn. "and she, is HMS Indefatigable." The ship of the line explained smugly through her mouth full of stolen scone.

Bearn nodded along, clearly doing her best to avoid her confusion showing.

"And she-" the Brit continued, pointing to a large conspicuous figure in the back of the building, doing her best to remain inconspicuous "-is HMS Indefatigable."

Bearn scrunched her face in confusion before a smile crossed it and shortly grew into an enthusiastic nod. "Oh! It will be very easy to remember your names in that case!" she happily added. "Is there a timetable to your visit?"

The seated British ship looked momentarily confused, "what the bloody hell are you asking us that for?" she asked before turning to her standing compatriot. "What the bloody hell is she asking us that for."

"Bearn is not equipped well enough to fight, nor bold enough to take leadership." The British carrier idly explained, "from what I hear she spends the entirety of her time being the diplomatic face of the frog navy and entertaining foreign ships and dignitaries involved in the program."

"Mademoiselle is not incorrect, but that is a bit of a rude way to phrase it, no?" Bearn timidly interjected past a steadily reddening face.

"Huh. So weak enough to take down but not smart enough to get out of it?" The age of sail Indefatigable mused.

Her compatriot shrugged, "I was mostly just trying to prove we had the best carriers, but that's a good idea too."

"I do not think you are wrong but I would not like you to point these things out so boldly." Bearn quietly muttered, suddenly finding the floor incredibly interesting. "I am aware I did not have much service."

"Does the name Indefatigable ring any bell?" The ship of the line offered in sudden melodrama, ignoring the discomfort of the French girl and leaning forwards a slight bit in a bid to make ther resume eye contact. "Perhaps mentioned in a cold sweat during the nightmares of your sail driven comrades?"

The audible sigh and annoyed eye roll of the British carrier did little to wipe the cocky expression from the seated British ship.

"Um-no." Bearn begin, glancing upwards again with a confused expression. "I mean no disrespect of course. Is there something important I have missed?"

"How many guns do you run, mademoiselle Bearn?" The seated Indefatigable asked idly examining the back of her hands as if to showcase her confidence. "I've got 64, mostly 24 pounders. And our friend over there, has only a few, but they're something like 150 pounders."

"More like eight hundred and fifty, but that's not how it works past the 1870s." muttered the British carrier.

"I am a carrier, so besides my torpedoes I have very little armament." The French ship offered in rising discomfort. "why do you ask?"

"Because if you'll agree we've got you outgunned and without escape we'll be taking your colors and yourself as a prize."

"Quoi?!" Bearn began, nearly spitting out her coffee in surprise before swallowing it carefully "mais non, Mon drapeau est-"

Across the hull of the seated Indefatigable, guns began to run out on her now materialized rigging.

"I knew this was going to get stupid." The british carrier added with a sigh.

"Wait." Bearn reasoned in quiet panic her arms held protectively against her chest and eyes scanning nervously around the coffeehouse. "But we are allies. If you need something of me-."

"This is more an issue of pride and tradition than a need. Per se." The ship of the line brushed aside with a hand wave. "Can you believe that neither of these girls have taken a prize? They took the name Indefatigable and was never willing to force an enemy to strike their colors."

Bearn let out a quiet nervous whine.

"Anyway the flag miss Bearn. Post haste if you would. I don't fancy a messy boarding action but I'm willing to prove that I'm capable of doing it."

 _ **Several Days Later**_

"Honestly Hood. I'm more disappointed in you than angry." A heavily accented French voice announced, breaking the silence in a chiding tone. "Letting your ships take prizes? What is this Trafalgar?"

The battle cruiser scoffed in an offended tone as the pair continued down the hallways of the English dormitories "I hardly let them take it. The Indefatigables are… unpredictable."

"And that lack of control would never pass in the French Navy." The French ship muttered, dismissively adjusting the sleeves on her blue tunic.

"Normally Dunkerque," Hood countered flatley, "I have more to manage than a pair of battleships and a handful of support ships. The Royal Navy was in fairness rather more substantial than your own."

The French Battleship went crimson beneath her peaked cap but said nothing to counter Hood's statement as the pair continued to pass by the living quarters of British Navy Warship until Hood suddenly stopped befoee a room and pulled a small key out from her trouser pockets.

"Be on your lookout by the way, the Indefatigables are an interesting lot" the battlecruiser warned her French companion as she twisted the nob and began to swing the door open.

The interior of the room was mostly dark and swirling with cigar smoke. Surrounding the card-ridden table put in between the twin bunks used by the owners of the room was a series of four figures, each nursing a cigar, and a glass of scotch. Their heads turned slowly to meet the newcomers, blinking steadily at the influx of light and the unespected pair of ships.

Recognizing the pair, the ship of the line amongst the lot let out a grimace and placed her bicorne on her head, muttering a solemn "Bollocks."

The carrier Indefatigable just sighed and threw her cards on the table, while her battlecruiser compatriat seemed to slink beneath the table under the angry stares that bore hostile guns.

Hood had barely time to speak before the fourth figure rose high collared Navy trenchcoat and Royal Navy style sailor cap made it hard for the pair to immediately recognize her. However as she pointed an accusing finger at the French Battleship, the text 'HMS BEARN' became visible in shoddy, hand sewn text on the cap's brim.

"Bearn,! est-ce que tu fait?" Dunkerque stated in defensive surprise. "c'est ridi-"

But the carrier didn't let her former compatriat finish, instead making a dramatic sweeping gesture over the gathering of seated Indefatigables "alors my friends!" She announced passionately in a thick French accent. "once more the insidious French threaten the peace of our great England! Arise sisters! Arise for Queen and country."

The trio was quiet for a second before a quiet laugh sounded and the razee frigate stood up. "I'm always down for a tussle Bearn, and I guess we're in trouble anyways." She began cracking her knuckles.

"Indefatigable dear." Hood muttered, quietly addressing the battlecruiser that continued to try and make herself as small as possible. "What the devil have they dragged you into?"

The girl looked up with nervous expression before gaining confidence as if just now recognizing Hood for the first time. "Um, Indefatigable wanted us to take a prize." she explained, gesturing towards the standing Indefatigable.

"I gathered that. But am confused as to what you did to the poor girl."

"Well, when the Abyssals raided Scapa Flow. Indefatigable-" she continued, gesturing to the carrier now. "May have brought her along. After all you called upon anyone capable that didn't have a task to join the carrier group in support."

Hood sighed audibly annoyed at the twisting of her own words "I did say that." she muttered in defeat

"You could have gotten her killed!" Dunkerque angrily interjected, "she has no combat experience."

"I was proud to defend my new island home!" Bearn interjected passionately. "England expects every ship will do her duty." She finished, stressing 'England' with her conspicuously French accent.

"She was pretty excited to be part of an actual carrier air group." The British carrier noted. "Did a pretty decent job too."

"She just wasn't ready-" Dunkerque countered angrily before the previously French carrier cut her protests off with an angry glare.

Hood just laughed.


End file.
